Coinquest, Being a Countermark Collectors' Circular

OINQ UEST, being a

... Publication for Collectors of: Countermarked, Cut and Holed Coins, Tokens
and Medals; Siege and Necessity Pieces; Love Tokens; and, Numismatic
Literature.

NOVEMBER, 1975 VOLUME 1, NUMBER 2

Published Bimonthly by: Carling Gresham, P. 0. Drawer 580, Pomona Park, Florida 32081.
Subscriptions: In North America, $6.00 Yearly, Delivered First Class Mail; All Other Areas, $7.50
Yearly, Delivered Air Mail.

CoLLectTors’ Crircu Lar

PAGE 2

Counterstamps On U. S. Large Cents

By
Warren A. Lapp, M.D.
Brooklyn, N. Y.

Until the past several years,
counterstamped large cents were con-
sidered by both collectors and dealers
alike as mutilated or defaced coins.
They were rarely offered in regular
listings or in auction sales; and when
they were included, they were gen-
erally listed in a more or less apolo-
getic manner at a price, half or even
less, than that of an unmutilated
piece of similar variety and grade.
Coin dealers whose stock included
these oddities often kept the pieces in
cabinet drawers for months or even
years, collecting dust, before they
could find a customer for them.

More recently, several notable and
worthwhile articles and monographs
about counterstamped coins have
stimulated a general interest in the
pieces and have created an
unprecedented demand for them.
Prices for such countermarked coins
have soared to unbelievable heights
in some cases, depending on the
unusual nature or rarity of the
countermark, although many com-
mon varieties are still available for a
mere pittance of what an unmarked
coin would bring.

A number of dealers now display
their counterstamped pieces on
bourse tables at local coin shows. Pro-
bably, because such coins once were
held in so little esteem, many pieces
have been discarded or destroyed
over the years. At least, requests for
them by individual collectors now out-
strip their ready availability. Even
so, it is only an occasional collector
who makes a_ specialty of ac-
cumulating such specimens into large
collections.

Q. David Bowers once noted that he
had at one time owned 600 or so U. S.
large cents with different counter-
marks. He disposed of his collection
in 1958 to a New Jersey collector who
probably still has them. Bowers re-
marked that he had done con-
siderable research on the coins in his
collection, identifying many of the
countermarks by checking the
registries of pewter and silver hall-
marks .as well as listings of gun
makers’ marks. He found that a
number of countermarks were used
provisionally in areas outside the
United States.

Maurice M. Gould, formerly of Bos-
ton and now a noted West Coast
numismatist and author, wrote in
1968 in a personal letter to me that he
had once owned more than 6,000
counterstamped large cents. He
stated that he had obtained many of
the coins from John Gilbody of Win-
chester, Mass. He also observed that
he had spent a great deal of his time
in searching through old city di-
rectories and other such listings, try-
ing to trace down names or initials,
but was able to pin down only two
pieces.

Ken Hallenbeck of Indiana, a cur-
rent member of the ANA Board of Di-
rectors, has been doing most of the re-
search on counterstamps in the past
few years; and he has published a
number of articles on this research
regarding identification of the
countermarks, cataloging by cate-
gory, rarity, etc.

Although all denominations of U. S.
and foreign coins have been counter-
stamped over the years, large cents
were very frequently used for such
purposes because the coins were
readily available, widely circulated,
and inexpensive.

As noted by previous researchers,
there were a number of basic reasons
for coins to be counterstamped:

I. to indicate official sanction, or
adoption as legal specie, by a govern-
ment other than the United States;

II. to use the coin as an
advertising medium;

III. for personal reasons such as
vanity or experimentation;

IV. for the testing of new dies by
trial punches to determine the quality
of impression which the die would
make.

I. TO INDICATE OFFICIAL SANC-
TION:

Some governments, especially
those in the West Indies and South
America, resorted to the practice of
makeshift coinage because they
lacked the facilities for melting down
the old coins, fashioning new
planchets, and stamping them as
coins of the realm. By counter-
stamping a coin, a government
insured circulation within a parti-
cular designated area, as well as
guaranteeing the coin’s value at a
certain fixed figure.

Large cents are recorded as having
been counterstamped for the

following countries: Barbados,
Brazil, Canada, Chile, Curacao, Dan-
ish West Indies, Guadeloupe, Haiti,
Liberia, Martinique, Mexico,
Paraguay, Santo Domingo, Spain, St.
Bartholomew, St. Helena (African
coast), St. Lucia, St. Martin, St.
Pierre, Tobago, and Vieque (Crab
Island).

Gould also noted one large cent
which had been counterstamped for
use as a Mexican hacienda token.

Il. AS AN ADVERTISING MED-
IUM; these fall into five categores:

A. Many merchants counter-

____ stamped coins as store cards because

it was a cheap way to advertise on a
national basis. Some of the mer-
chants offered to redeem the coins in
trade, while others used the coins as
admission tickets to theaters or sport-
ing arenas. One of the more common
examples of large cents used for ad-
vertising is the counterstamp
“Devins & Bolton, Montreal.’’ Devins
and Bolton were druggists in that city.

B. Some large cents were counter-
stamped with patriotic legends, of

which ‘Beautiful America’ and
“Union For Ever’ are known
examples.

Cc. A number of large cents were
used by political parties and were
counterstamped with political
slogans. The most common example
of these is “Vote The Land Free,”’ a
slogan used by the Free Soil party
during the campaign of 1848. The
candidate of the Free Soil party,
Martin Van Buren, was defeated in
the election by Zachary Taylor. —

D. Some cents were stamped with
the names of states or cities. Ihave a
number of such in my own collection,
including ‘‘N. York,’ ‘‘Portsmouth,”’
“Boston,’’ ‘‘Springfield,’’ and
“Oregon.”

E. Fraternal organizations also
made use of counterstamped large
cents. Some were counterstamped
with Masonic insignia and used as
pocket pieces; these have become
commonly known as Masonic pen-
nies. Others have been stamped with
insignia of the Ku Klux Klan. For sev-
eral of its annual meetings, the Early
American Coppers Club has stamped
worn large cents with EAC 1967 and
similar dates, passing them out as
souvenirs to the members who at-
tended.

(Continued Next Issue)

PAGE 3

Ancient Cmks — Problems and Promise

By F. G. Ruben

Numerous ancient Greek and Ro-
man coins bear counterstamps, very
few of which have yielded their signi-
ficance. Represented are a confusing
variety of abbreviated inscriptions
and symbols, indistinguishable por-
traits and figures. The passage of two
thousand years has done much to
deface legibility and history.

Series which are almost devoid of
counterstamps are as significant as
those that are not. Imperial Roman
bronze after Nero are almost void of

marks, perhaps an indication of
monetary stability and an attitude
later imprinted on the coins, ‘‘Sacra
Moneta”’ (sacred money). Imperial
silver bears nothing but test cuts, and
in general, silver was far less
frequently marked than bronze.
Outside Asia Minor and the Middle
East, marks are the exception, while
a few of these are not common
without some countermark. In 250
years of issues of Roman Egypt no
example is present from an area
where foreign coins were not per-

NIFADCHUP

No relation to hiccup ... just another
acronym.

N — Names

I— Initials

F — Figures (numbers)

A— Animals (including humans)

D— Devices

C — Combinations

H— Holes
U— Unknown
P— Pieces

With a view towards cataloging
world countermarks, these groups
are offered for your contemplation
andcomments. | :

It might appear to some that the
editor is acronym crazy, but it is a
simple, efficient way to memorize a
large number of dissimilar items.

This acronym would be used in
conjunction with the two presented in
the mail bid catalog.

CQ Rates Increase (Already!)

Beginning with the next issue of CQ,
annual subscription rates will be
increased to $6 in North America and
$7.50 elsewhere; delivery remains
first class and air mail, respectively.

Current subscribers are offered the
opportunity to extend their sub-
scriptions by one year only at the cur-
rent rates; this offer expires 30 days
after this issue is mailed.

Increased production costs and a
lack of advertising are the motivating

Obock Concoct ...

Gregory Brunk supplied this photo
of an Obock cmk, but, he said, “I
can’t trace a specimen of it before
about two years ago and am almost
certain it’s a new concoction.” He
said Obock was supposed to be a city
in India, but he was unable to find it
on any maps. (With three ency-
clopedias and two world atlases at
hand, I can’t find it, either. — Ed.)

factors behind the increase. The
original printing cost quotation was
good for only 60 days; that quote has
increased twice since inception, from
an original $65, to $85, now to $110!
(This is since May of this year.)

Further, as most everyone is
aware, postage will increase after the
holidays ... the usual figure being
quoted is 13 cents for first class de-
livery, which will be delivered by air
mail (supposedly) .

Typesetting costs have risen from
30 to 40 cents per column inch, and
another increase is expected im-
mediately after this issue, although,
the typesetter for CQ is not under a
contractural agreement, and those
rates just may increase before this
issue is completed.

Rampant ... galloping ... inflation
continues to be a dominant factor in
everyone’s life. Up and up she goes ...
where she stops, nobody knows...

Auction PRL

Subscribers who received free cata-
logs and who now desire a prices
realized list, should remit $2.00 for a
copy.

Non-subscribers must remit $3.00.

The PRL will be mailed about
December 1.

mitted.

Counterstamps are usually as-
sociated with emergency or con-
venience, especially true among the
ancients since’ overstriking was
common. Silver and gold circulated
by bullion value, eliminating the need
for local sanction, yet the smaller
denominations still represented a
day’s wage. Bronze itself carried
intrinsic value and was the everyday
currency.

In an emergency or for convenience
it was necessary to modify existing
coins. Restriking took time and
skilled artisans, yet, gem engravers
were available to produce punches in
extreme miniature. This can surely
account for some of the fine detail in
many counterstamps, while the hand
of the blacksmith is evident in many
others, whose letters are retrograde
and crude.

With a few generalities much can
be surmised about a counterstamp on
its face. A crudely cut letter cannot be
classed with a sculpted bust. A mark
on silver may be a test mark, but on
bronze it may be a re-valuation or a
city badge. A little knowledge and
much logic can at least clear away
the impossible possibilities, and lead
to an understanding of why so many
little marks are found on so many
coins.

Catalogers, Awake!

Subscribers are needed to compile
lists of countermarks for eventual
publication in a general ‘‘World’
catalog; collecting specialties would
be an appropriate area in which
volunteers could be most useful to the
program, as well as updating and in-
creasing their own collections.

Volunteers are requested to notify
CQ if they’re willing to act as a
clearinghouse agent for cmkd coins,
tokens, etce., by metal, country,
denomination, dates, or whatever.

Compilation of “everything in
sight’’ would be the immediate goal,
but publication in a catalog would
depend on a variety of factors, which
could be determined at a later date.

Through private correspondence,
several subscribers have offered
their services, but many more are
needed. Readers are urged to offer
their comments, and time, in this
endeavor.

PAGE 4

Some History Of Tunisian Countermarks

By
Kenneth M. MacKenzie
Tenafly, New Jersey

Tunis is a north African republic
situated between Algeria and Libya.
It came under the control of the
Ottoman Turks when Sinan Pasha
conquered it in 1574. Up to that time
the Husainid rulers had sought the
help of the Spaniards against the
Turks of Algiers, but after the
invasion and defeat, the ruler,
Muhammad was taken to Istanbul
and the dynasty came to an end.

The occupying force was divided
into units of one hundred men
commanded by an officer called the
dey. The head of the Ottoman
administration was at first the Pasha
appointed by the Porte (the govern-
ment in Constantinople), assisted by
an officer called bey who supervised
the actual administration and col-
lection of taxes.

A short time afterwards a revolt of
the troops brought about a shift of
control and power to the deys.
Gradually a dynastic rule again
evolved after one of the beys named
Murad was honored by the Sultan
with the title of Pasha; he exerted
power which reduced the deys to
figure heacs, and the beylicate was
kept in his family for generations.

In 1665 Tunisia was opened to
European trade and the Muradist
beys increased their strength by con-
trolling revenue from customs duties
and monopolizing the sale of agricul-
tural produce to the foreign
merchants.

By the middle-of the nineteenth
century the economy of the country
had gone from bad to worse. The
French occupation of Algeria, and the
growing strength of the European con-
suls in Tunisia coincided with
increased Ottoman activity and
interference which resulted in Ahmed
Bey (1837-55) accepting a form of
Ottoman soverignty to avoid being
deposed. This event marked the end
of the period of independence which
the beys had enjoyed for centuries.

His successor, Muhammad Bey
(1855-59), inherited an authority
which was supposed to be supreme
but in actual practice was erroded by
the powers of the consuls and
deterioration of the economy.
Muhammad _ es-Sadik succeded
Muhammad as bey in 1859 and in the
following year a _ constitution

converted Tunisia in theory to a
limited monarchy.

It recognized the bey as head of the
state and the succession as
hereditary. The constitution failed in
practice and was suspended four
years after its promulgation.

A period of rapid expansion of
European economic interests
occurred in the 1860s, particularly
those of France and Italy. By 1862 the
Tunisian state had borrowed twenty
eight million francs locally, and after
the bey had been told that much
better terms would be obtained, loans
were sought abroad. .

By the year 1865 the financial
situation was worse than ever. A
rebellion, a cholera epidemic and a
typhus epidemic in 1868 reduced the
country to a state of misery and
poverty as never before experienced
and more money was borrowed.

Tunisia lost its independence with
the formation of an Interantional
Financial Commission when they
couldn’t meet the payments on their
debts. After years of economic dis-
ruption and intrigue by the big
powers, French troops arrived in
Tunis on 5th April 1881, and on May
12th Muhammad es-Sadik signed a
peace treaty which deprived him of
his independence. He died in October
1882 and his successor ‘Ali Bey was
forced to sign a declaration on June 8,
1883, establishing the French
protectorate.

The coinage of Tunis, being an Otto-
man province, was struck in the
name of the reigning Sultan in
Constantinople, and usually had the
name of the ruling bey on the other
side of the coin.

Counterstamping of the coins was
done to indicate a revaluation of the
currency. Under the authority of the
beylical decrees of 21st April and 22nd
May, 1872, (1289AH), a reduction in
the values of the copper coins was
denoted by the use of circular counter-
stamps, one being 5mm in diameter
with the Arabic number ‘1’, and
another 6.5mm in diameter with the
numeral ‘‘2”’, indicating a value in
kharubs. (Figs. “‘b’ andc’’).

A later decree dated May 30th 1878,
(1295AH), authorized the stamping of
silver and gold coins with a five
pointed star denoting a revaluation.
(Fig. ‘‘a’’). However, coins with and
without counterstamps continued to
be circulated together, and up to 1891
coins continued to be struck without

modification.

There is one counterstamp in the
form of a dagger (Fig. ‘‘d’’) which
appears on a copper coin of Abdul
Aziz / with Bey Muhammad es-Sadik.
It is a 2 Kharub coin dated 1289. This
type of coin isn’t found with the
stamps referred to above; it is quite
probable that it was authorized under
the two early decrees but so far this
writer has been unable to verify the
facts and circumstance surrounding
such a counterstamp on a Tunisian or
any other Ottoman coin.

A list of the coin types with
counterstamps including the known
year dates of such coins is given
herewith: ——__—_—_—_

1. Copper coins with ) and al
counterstamps.

a) Abdul Mejid. (name of the
ruling bey not on the coin). numeral 1
on 6 nasris (29mm) 1267 (see fig. 1)
appears also on years 1263, '64, 65’66,
68 and ’69.

b) Abdul Mejid. ‘‘El Ghazi’ (Bey
Muhammad) (Inscription A and G)
numeral 1 on6 aspers (29mm) 1272
(photo: 1) also on yr, 1274, numeral 2
on 13 aspers (32 mm) 1273 (photo 2)
alsoonyrs 1272, 74,75

ec) Abdul Aziz. (Bey Muhammad es-
Sadik) (Inscription B and F) dagger
on2kharub (30mm) 1289. (photo 3)

2. Silver Coins with a five pointed
star counterstamp.

a) Abdul Aziz (Bey Muhammad es-
Sadik) (Inscription B and F)

1 piastre years 1279, 1281, ’82, ’84,
°87-93. =

2piastre years 1287-'93

4 piastre years 1288, 1292 (see
photo 4) and 1293.

b) Abdul Hamid. (Bey Muhammad
es-Sadik) (Inscription D and F)

1 piastre 1293, 94

2 piastre 1294

4 piastre 1293, ’94

c) Abdul Hamid ‘‘El] Ghazi’ (Bey
Muhammad es-Sadik) (Inscription C
and F)

1 piastre 1294

2 piastre 1294

4 piastre 1294, ’96.

3. Gold Coins with a five pointed
star counterstamp.

(Continued on Next Page)

PAGE 5

Tunisian Countermarks ...

(Continued from Preceding Page)

a) Abdul Aziz (Bey Muhammad es-
Sadik) (Inscription B and F)
5 piastres years 1288, ’92 f
10 piastres years 1280, 81, '84, 87,
a b c

88.

b) Abdul Hamid ‘‘E] Ghazi’. (Bey
Muhammad es-Sadik.) (Inscription C
and F)

5 piastres year 1294.

The monetary system in use at the
time, was 104 burbes equals 52 aspers
/ nasris equals 16 kharubs equals 1
Piastre (known as Sebili, or riyal
sebili). The effect of the devaluation

was to reduce the piastre by 3 PHOTO 1

kharubs, and in relation to French

currency, 1 Franc equals 2 piastres. c/sb
SST)

sen
eas!

PHOTO 2
ce/se

Ped
Bo ass
we
«Wer
c (DST
vy

Ly} PHOTO 3

D dd oe™ e/sd
we

PHOTO 4

a Wy AF ce/sa

PAGE 6

BEGINNING:

A TENTATIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY
OF COUNTERMARKS

By
Gregory G. Brunk
Waterloo, Iowa

It’s unfortunate there hasn’t been a
general listing available for this area
of numismatics before now. This has
hampered the attribution of counter-
marks and has resulted at times in
mis-listing or multiple identification
of certain pieces. An attempt has
been made here to locate articles —
not under the country to which they
identify a countermark — to the
country which actually issued the
piece. bce oom

Four years ago the writer began
putting together a listing of all mat-
erials he could locate on counter-
marks; this is the result. It is not a
complete listing, for many works con-
taining information on countermarks
cannot be ‘“‘found’’ except by a
physical acquaintance with a parti-
cular book.

Until recently it was not common in
reviews to include the fact that cer-
tain research commented on counter-
marks of a country. In general, if the
coins of a country are heavily counter-
marked, most books on that country
will have information on _ those
countermarks in them. In such in-
stances the references given here re-
flect what the writer hascomeacross;
other works not listed may be expect-
ed to contain similar information.

This listing has been composed
from three sources: 1). The
Dictionary Catalogue of the Library
of the American Numismatic Society,
2). Comments found with the articles
listed in the past ninety-odd issues of
Numismatic Literature, also
published by the A.N.S., 3). An
extensive page by page search of
periodicals and books in a number of
libraries, particularly those of the
American Numismatic Association,
the Universities of Illinois, Iowa, and
Chicago, and the writer’s personal
library.

An apology is in order for the varia-
tions in listings in this bibliography.
In some cases volume numbers will
be given, while in others a year may
be refered to. Transliterations of
titles may vary. Because such a wide
variety of sources was used, not all of
the articles could be physically
traced to the original published
document to check each listing.

Included here is a listing of the
most important works describing or
pricing countermarked coins. The
majority of material available on
countermarks is hidden in short
magazine articles or in detailed
catalogs of coins of particular
countries, such as Rabino’s Coins,
Medals and Seals of the Shahs of Iran.

Generally, particular country cata-
logs are not listed here unless they
contain a great deal of information on
countermarks. If you have a coin

.from_the 17th century onward-which

is countermarked, but the counter-
mark is not,listed in any of the
following sources — or major
catalogs of the coins of the country it
appears on — it is virtually certain
the piece is not an official govern-
ment issue.

The following will be found most
useful:

A. GENERAL WORKS

Buttrey, Theodore V., Jr., Coinage
of the Americas (New York, 1973).

Craig, William, Coins of the World
1750 - 1850 (Racine, 1971).

Friedberg, Robert, Coins of the
British World (New York, 1962).

Lapa, Frank A., Check List of Siege
Coins and Necessity Issues 16th - 20th
Century (San Diego, 1968) .

Gordon, Ralph C., ‘‘A Large Waste-
basket and Some Commen Sense’,
Numismatic Commentary and Mail
Bid Sale (Henry Christensen, March
30, 1973, and Jan. 25, 1974). A list of
criteria for detecting concoctions.

Krause, Chester L., and Clifford
Mishler, Standard Catalog of World
Coins (Iola, 1973) .

Mailliet, Prosper, Catalogue
descriptif des monnaies obsidionales
et de necessite (Brussles, 1868, 1870) .

Pridmore, F., ‘“‘The Countermark
of the Crowned V’’, Numismatic Cir-
cular, Aug. - Sept. 1954, pp. 339-341.

Coins of the British Commonwealth
of Nations to the End of the Reign of
George VI 1952, Part II — Asian Terri-
tories (London, 1965); Part III —
West Indies (London, 1965) .

In addition, Pridmore has written a
long series of articles dealing with
specific areas of British colonial
coinage. These have appeared in the

Numismatic Circular over the past
thirty years and have a wealth of
information about countermarks, but
are too numerous to list seperately.

Raymond, Wayte, The Silver Dol-
lars of North and South America
(Racine, 1959).

Remick, Jerome, et. al., The Guide-
book and Catalogue of British Com-
monwealth Coins 1649 - 1971
(Winnipeg, 1971).

Schulman, Hans M. F. Galleries,
“The Howard Gibbs Collection of

-Counterstamped; Necessity-and Siege

Coins of the Americas’’, (March 18,
19, 1966, New York). Many of the
pieces assigned locations in this
catalog are only mutilations without
significance, while a few are concoc-
tions. It is a very good work for
research.

Scholten, C., The Coins of the Dutch
Overseas Territories, 1601 - 1948
(Amsterdam, 1953) .

Westerfield, Wiley, An Introduction
to Siege Coins San Diego, 1967).

Zay, E., Histoire monetaire des
colonies Francaises (Paris, 1892,
1904)

B. EUROPE

Davis, W. J., The Nineteenth Cen-
tury Token Coinage of Great Britain,
Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the
Isle of Man (London, 1969) .

Erlanger, Herbert J., “Some
German Counterstamps of the Late
Seventeenth ~Century~° and the
Standard of the Leipzig Convention”,
American Numismatic Society
Museum Notes, Vol. VII (1957), pp.
143-181.

Friederich, K., Ein Beitrag zur
Geschichte des Kontermarkenwesens
(Munster, 1970). This is an extensive
listing of German counterstamps.

Grierson, Philip, ‘‘The Crimean
Countermarks of Heraclius’’,
Numismatic Chronicle, Series VII,
Vol. VII (1966), pp. 221-224. Early
seventh century Byzantine counter-
marks are described.

Hamilton, Peter F., and Antonio
Trigueiros, ‘Fake Countermarks
Plague Hobby’’, World Coins, Jan.
1975, pp. 46-52. A study of the Azores
Crowned G. P. countermark.

(Continued on Next Page)

CMK Bibliography .....

(Continued from Preceding Page)

Ives, Herbert E., ‘“‘Counterstamps
on English and Continental Nobles’’,
American Numismatic Society
Museum Notes, Vol. II (1947), pp. 53-
61.

Katz, Viktor, Kontramarky na
Prazskych Grosich (Prague, 1927),
Countermarks found on Czech
groschen are described; an excellent
study.

Krause, Delbert R., “‘“Ecu Converts
to Batzen in One Stamp’, World
Coins, Oct. 1973, pp. 1598-1606. A
listing of French crowns on which the
countermarks of Bern and Vaud are
found.

Krusy, Hans, ‘‘Gegengestempelte
Paper Groschen die nicht den Namen
Wenzels III’, Hamburger Beitrage
zur Numismatik, 1966, pp. 525-530.
Countermarks on Czech groschen are
described.

“Der Fund von Aufhofen, Krs.
Biberach Riss vergraben 1435-40’’,
“‘Hamburger Beitrage zur
Numismatik, Vol. 6, No. 18 / 19
(1964/5), pp. 95-110. Contents of a
countermarked hoard of Czech coins
are listed.

Manville, Harrington E., ‘British
Countermarks According to W. J.
Davis: True and False’, Numismatic
Circular, April 1972, pp. 134-136; June

pp. 231-233.
“Silver Tradesmen’s Counter-
marks in British Collections’,

Numismatic Circular, Dec. 1973, pp.
462-466, Jan. 1974, pp. 2-4; Dec. pp. 470-
474.

Pridmore, F., “The Bank of
England Oval and Octagonal Counter-
marked Dollars of 1797-1804’,
Numismatic Circular, April 1955, pp.
163-166; June, pp. 259-266.

“The Countermarked Copper
Coinage of Malta’, Numismatic
Circular, 1950, pp. 191-193.

Purvey, Frank, Coins and Tokens
of Scotland (London. 1972).

Sammut, J., ‘‘Lascaris and His
Countermarked Copper 4 and 2 Tari
Pieces’, Seaby Coin and Medal
Bulletin, June 1964, pp. 205 - 207.
Countermarks of the Knights of Malta
are described and explained.

Schulman, Hans M. F. Galleries,
“The Howard D. Gibbs Collection of
Counterstamped and Siege Coins of
the British Isles’’ (Nov. 19, 1960) .

Scott, J. Garvin, ‘French and
Other European Bronze Coins
Countermarked in England for Use as
Advertising Tickets in the Late

Nineteenth Century’’, Seaby Coin and
Medal Bulletin, Dec. 1970, pp. 443-453;
March, pp. 82-87; April, p. 124.

British Countermarks on Copper
and Bronze Coins (London, 1975)

Seaby, Peter, and Monica Bussell,
British Tokens and Their Values
(London,1970) .

Szauer, Emil, ‘Catalog of Irish
Countermarks”, World Coins, 1966,
PP. 344-350, 504-507, 854-858; 1967, pp.
212-216, 760-764.

Walter, A. W., “‘A List of English
Countermarks Struck for Advertizing
Purposes Upon the Copper Coins Cir-
culating in+ Great Britain’,
Numismatic Circular, Oct. 1965, pp.
423-494.

Westholm, Alfred, “‘A Hoard of
Bronze Coins _ of Constans II’,
Nordisk Numismatisk Arsskrift, 1940,
pp. 143-147. Byzantine countermarks
of the middle and late seventh
century were found in this hoard.

Whetmore, S.A.H., ‘“‘Notes on Some
Issues of Countermarked Spanish
Dollars’, British Numismatic
Journal, 1957, pp. 620-648.

C. CANADA AND THE
UNITED STATES

Gingras, Larry, ‘‘The J.0.P. Silver
Dollar’, Canadian Numismatic
Journal, Oct. 1959, pp. 363-364.

Gilmore, Starr, ‘“‘Canadian Dollars
Countermarked ‘JOP’”’”’, Numismatic
Scrapbook Magazine, April 1960, pp.
964-968.

Hallenbeck, Kenneth L. ‘‘Counter-
marked Canadian Coins and
Tokens”, Canadian Numismatic

PAGE 7

Journal, May 1965, pp. 183-184.
“Hallmarks on U.S. Large Cents’,
The Journal of the Token and Medal
Society, 1964, pp. 41-43.
Reynolds, John “J. L. Polhemus

Counterstamped Store Cards of
Sacramento, California’, The

Journal of the Token and Medal
Society, 1964, pp. 103-107.

Slabaugh, Arlie R., ‘‘Advertising
Money”, Numismatic Scrapbook
Magazine, July 1960, pp. 1890-1903.

Yeoman, R. S., ‘‘The 1848 Quarter
Eagle with CAL.’’, The Numismatist,
July 1953, pp. 674-685.

(Continued Next Issue)
“Jaws” Leaves Mark

Subscriber Lionel Holland, a
partner in the firm of Eidelstein &
Holland, Haifa, Israel, has sent out an
“SOS” for help with a peculiar (and
dangerous?) countermark on a 1753
(Hall) Maria Theresa thaler.

The cmk is “... a zig-zag pattern
like a row of shark’s teeth, (Jaws!) 13
or 14 in all,” according to Holland. He
described the mark as being three
millimeters wide and 18mm long, in
the right field of the obverse, aligned

vertically.
Holland noted a similar emk on a
Guatemalan eight reales in

Elizondo’s first edition of Eight
Reales and Pesos of the New World,
page 123.

Holland may be contacted at the
firm’s address, 61 Herzl St., Haifa
33504, Israel, if anyone has any
information on the emk.

Coins Unknown, Unloved, Missing ...

Information concerning the whereabouts of these two pieces would be
appreciated by their owner, John Kromas, Taylor, Texas. Oddly, both pieces are
counterfeits made of bronze, and silver washed. George III piece is a Bank of
England 5 - Shilling, 1804; Mintmark and assayer on the Charles IIII 8-reales are
unknown. Both are very well executed copies, but the wash on the 5-Shilling has
worn through in a number of spots. Information welcomed by Kromas, whose
address is 520 West 4th St., Taylor, TX 76574.

PAGE 8

Satirical Coins Not Love Tokens

By
Richard Dickerson
Pasadena, Calif.

The appearance of a new journal
such as Coinquest, devoted to
counterstamped and altered coins, is
cause for celebration. However, it is
important to define the field carefully
at the beginning of any new
enterprise, and I would like to take
issue with one point in the definitions
given on page 2 of the May, 1975 issue.
After eight definitions of various
countermarked, cut, holed, and siege
pieces, comes:

“9, Love Token (LT), noun: A coin,
token, medal or chit upon which has
been engraved, etched or scratched,
any group of letters, numbers, or
devices, or combination thereof.”

This certainly describes a_ signi-
ficant category of numismatic
material, but the name ‘‘Love Token”
won't do. That term is applicable only
to some of the engraved coins: those
that were done as personal mementos
between friends. For the vast array of
politically or satirically engraved
coins, ‘‘Non-love Tokens’ or even
“Hate Tokens’ would be a more
suitable description.

Conflict seems to call out a greater
passion and ingenuity in humans than
agreement (try to get a newspaper to
headline good news); for this reason,
politically and satirically engraved
coins hold a greater fascination for
the writer than the personal
mementos that alone deserve the
name of ‘“‘Love Tokens’’.

Most of these political and satirical
coins were engraved with care and
forethought, and one of their at-
tractions lies in deciphering what was
in the mind of the engraver at the
time. Matching wits successfully with
the original creator of the piece can
turn an ordinary-looking mutilated
coin into a prized showpiece. This
brief article describes some pieces in
the author’s collection, without going
into the details behind each one. In
future issues of Coinquest, space and
editor willing, I propose to describe
a few of these pieces individually,
telling you as much as I have been
able to figure out about them, and in
some cases asking for help in their
interpretation.

The first thirteen coins ac-
companying this article are from
France, a country that was especially
rich in satirical engravings and
counterstamps. This is only natural;

-any-good-French history>————

in a century in which coins and
medals were important tools in mass
propaganda, the French had lost the
respect for Kings and Emperors that
still existed in many countries.

Coin number 1 is a 5-Franc’coin of
Napoleon Bonaparte, dated 1810, with
a counterstamp that looks like a
grimacing cat. It actually is a
screech-owl, and was the sign of the
Royalist guerillas in the Vendee, a
district on the Atlantic seaboard.
Their leader, Jean Cottereau, was
also known as Jean Chouan (‘‘John
Screech-owl’’), for reasons that we
will come back‘to in a tater article. In
the meantime, look up the Chouans in

The second piece is a genuine
mystery for which I selicit your help.
On a 5-Franc piece of Louis XVIII
dated 1823, someone has crudely
scratched a floppy hat, a pipe at a
jaunty angle, a wing collar and a
cravat. What did this signify? The
making of a bourgeoise or at least a
civilian out of the King?

Louis XVIII was a brother of the
guillotined Louis XVI, and leader of
the house of Bourbon, which was
restored to power after the downfall
of Bonaparte. Did these embellish-
ments mean anything more to the en-
graver than simple disrespect? As we
shall see, a civilian hat, collar, and
sometimes a pipe, were common
motifs among coin engravers.

Coin No. 3 shows a crown above two
crossed tricolor flags, with the date
1830 below, all engraved on a minor
coin of Louis XVI from 1791. If the
tricolor came in with the Revolution,
why would it be associated in 1830
with a royal crown? More on this
later, but for now, look up Louis
Philippe. While you are thinking
about him, ask yourself why someone
would counterstamp one of his 5-
Franc coins with an eagle as in No. 4,
and give him an engraved Pinocchio
nose? Together, these changes call
Louis Philippe a liar and an
Imperialist. Why? The answer makes
this one of the most historically
interesting coins in the collection.

The next nine coins are of Louis
Napoleon Bonaparte, nephew of the
great Napoleon. He was President of
the Second Republic from 1848 to 1852,
and Emperor from then until 1870.
Numismatically, he was the most
vilified ruler of all time, by a wide
margin.

On Coin No. 5, President Louis

Napoleon, ‘‘Voleur’’ (thief), is given a
stubble beard, lice in his hair, a clay
pipe, a neck chain, and a cheek tattoo
reading ‘“‘Forgat 100’ (Convict No.
100). On the following coin, someone
has stamped Napoleon III (now
Emperor) with three crucifixes and a
hole in the forehead.

Coins 7 and.8 are counterstamped
TRAITRE, .LACHE (coward),
GREDIN (crook), and SEDAN (the
locale of his defeat by Prussia and
surrender in 1870). These are
mementoes of the Franco-Prussian
War, which finished off the Second
Empire as well as its Emperor. So

—_—are-Coins=9-through12-all of which

display Napoleon III in an engraved
German helmet as a way of sug-
gesting treason or sellout at Sedan.
On No. 9, the eagle on the reverse is
recarved into a skull, and on No. 12,
the Emperior is given Satanic pointed
ears.

Coin No. 13 is typical of a class of
mutilated coins of Napoleon III,
making him appear as a swine, a fool,
a chinless adolescent, a crybaby, or a
monster. This particular engraver
(as well as several others),
discovered that the back half of the
Emperor’s head, turned sideways,
looks vaguely like a pig’s head. He
helped the resemblance along with
tusks, and added the caption, ‘‘Swine
contest, First prize’.

Coin No. 14 is a miniature master-
piece that does not fit into the cate-
gory either of engravings or counter-
stamps. Two small effigies of
European rulers have been soldered
to the wings of the Prussian eagle on a
1-Thaler of Wilhelm dated 1866. Who
might these rulers be, and what does
the altered coin commemorate? As
clues, consider the date 1866 and the
mutton-chop whiskers on the ruler at
the left. Contemporary coin portraits
from Yeoman can help in identifying
the ruler at the right.

The Papal States are represented
by Nos. 15 - 17. On one 5-Lire coin,
Pope Pius IX is transformed into
Bismarck, and on the other, to a
German burgher with skullcap,
meerschaum pipe, and civilian coat
and collar. On the little 1-Lira, a meer-
schaum and a tasseled German stock-
ing cap have been added. For clues as
to what these meant, look up

(Continued on Page 10)

PAGE 9

PAGE 10

Pridmore Selects “Countermark’”

By
Major Fred Pridmore
Taunton, Somerset, England

In the pilot issue of Coinquest, May,

1975, a few items are suggested for:

discussion, including, ‘‘What’s the dif-
ference between countermark (cmk)
and counterstamp (csp,) if any?’’ In
the next column CQ offers CMK De-
finitions, and suggests a panel to de-
termine a set of terms acceptable and
understood by numismatists. Under
Countermark we are offered two de-
finitions.

On page 10, vol. I, no. 1, of CQ, Ken-

Satirical Coins ...

(Continued from Pages)
“Kulturkampf’ in a_ history of
Bismarck’s Germany.

Nos. 18 and 19 are coins of Paul
Krueger of South Africa, again with
hat and pipe. On 18 they have been cut
out of other metal and soldered in
place; on 19 they have merely been
engraved. This is the first example so
far of the top hat, which is such a
common addition to the coins of
Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany (Nos.
20-22). What did a top hat signify to a
late nineteenth century South African
or German? Were the Krueger coins
the models for the Kaiser Wilhelm
pieces?

A correspondent in Essen,
Wolfgang Schulze, tells me that to a
German, a top hat implied a very
formal occasion such as a funeral. It
would have been appropriate to put a
top hat on the Kaiser for the funeral of
the German Empire in 1918. Another
possible interpretation is that the en-
graver, in effect, was telling the
Kaiser to take his hat and be off. The
inscription on the hat on No. 22 reads,
“Out with you, 1918’, but using the
familiar second person that never
would have been employed with an
Emperor. In impoliteness, a better
translation would be, ‘‘Beat it!”

These are few examples of
politically counterstamped and en-
graved coins that would be grossly
mislabeled as “‘Love Tokens’’. There
is no love lost on these coins between
ruler and engraver. I have de
liberately intermixed engraved and
counterstamped political coins to
emphasize that a distinction based on
technique used would be artificial.
The same person or group that would

Over “Counterstamp”

neth Hallenbeck states a preference
for the term ‘‘counterstamp” as
opposed to ‘“countermark,’ and
expresses the opinion that it is not
really important which word you
choose.

While all collectors of any
experience are perfectly familiar
with either term as-used in numis-
matic literature, and also other words
encountered, e.g., counterpunch,
countersign and counterstruck, the
most correct form is countermark.

That word, or its abbreviations,
cm, cm, c/mk, as applied or used in

engrave a German helmet on the
effigy of Napoleon III would quite
likely stamp TRAITRE on others of
his coins; and the man who prepared
No. 4 combined both engraving and a
counterstamp.

It would be better to regard all of
these as a category of Political and
Satirical Alterations, and then to sub-
divide these into (a) Engraving, (b)
Counterstamps, and (c) Applique
(layers of metal added to the coin sur-
face, as the two effigies on No. 14 or
the top hat on the Kaiser). The
definitions in the May issue of Coin-
quest might be modified as follows:

9. Love Token (LT), noun: A coin,
token, medal or chit upon which has
been engraved, etched, or scratched
any group of letters, numbers, or
devices, as an expression of personal
friendship, love, or esteem between
private parties.

10. Poltiical or Satirical Engraving
(PSE), noun: As category 9, but
executed with the goal of expressing
support or opposition to a ruler,
party, issuing body, or other public
group or cause.

The term “Love Token’ then
should be restricted to include only
actual expressions of love or friend-
ship. The coins illustrating this
article frequently are rather pungent
expressions of feelings, but love is not
among them.

I would welcome correspondence
with other readers of Coinquest on
this subject, addressed to me at:
Department of Chemistry; California
Institute of Technology; Pasadena,
Calif. 91125. If you have especially in-
teresting pieces, perhaps they can
serve as subjects for future Coinquest
articles.

the numismatic sense, describes any
mark stamped or punched upon a
coin or medal (and these two words
are to be understood in their widest
meaning,) after it has left the mint of
manufacture.

The word countermark has been
used by English numismatists since
the end of the seventeenth century
(See John Evelyn. Numismata. A Dis-
course of Medals, Ancient and
Modern, London, 1697,) and with
some exceptions, so have the older
generation of noted North American
writers.

_For-example:Albert-R. Frey, -A——

Dictionary of Numismatic Names,
New York, 1917, follows the normal
form countermark, and does not list
any of the alternatives mentioned
above.

F. G. Duffield in A Trial List of the
Countermarked Coins of the World,
originally published in The Numis-
matist, 1919 - 22, and subsequently
reprinted as a booklet, also employs
the term countermark and the
abbreviation ‘‘em’’ throughout his
long listings. —

However, from the North American
publications available to me, these do
show punched and counterstamped as
being in fairly frequent use from 1851,
but the principal user of the term
counterstamp appears to have been
Howland Wood.

Wood, in his Coinage of the West In-
dies, New York, 1915, used several
terms: stamp, stamped, unstamped,
counterstamp, counterstamped,
punch; punched and-countermark. He
followed no standard form and evi-
dently used the first word in his
thoughts at the time of writing, which
avoided repetition; the most common
word he used is counterstamp.

As Wood’s work became the stan-
dard reference, it was used ex-
tensively by North American sale
catalogers and dealers, and they, too,
used the word counterstamp with the
result that, it is now an accepted and
understood term in American
numismatics to describe any se-
condary punch or mark applied to
coins or medals.

However, if a panel of experts even-
tually meets to establish a set of

terms, then I would submit that
countermark should be the one
selected.

(Continued next issue)

PAGE 11

Plasties and Coins

By
James A. Brown
Newark, N. J.

(Continued from Last Issue)

Plastic as it is commonly called to-
day is usually associated with a trans-
parent material whose first ap-
pearance as Celluloid many people
are familiar with, and such items as
the celluloid mens’ shirt collars,
which were highly inflamable and
had a habit of catching fire in the old
Mack Sennet comedy movies.

As the plastics being used to make
coin holders are usually non-
inflamable except under intense heat,
(even concrete will burn if you get it
hot enough,) we are not concerned
with a fire hazard; but, when being
worked by high speed metal tools,
caution should be observed not to
overheat the cutting tool, which, if
hot, will force the plastic out of shape
at certain temperatures, only a few
degrees beyond that of hot water.

Not just any kind of transparent,
translucent or opaque plastic is of
benefit to the keeping of coins, but
that which is known as Plexiglass or
the well known nylon is of the type
most commonly used for this
purpose; Plexiglass is. one of the
polyethylenes of the more inert and
resistant kinds and so more useful to
our purpose. There are others more
expensive or specialized such as
Teflon used for corrosive resistant
gaskets, or MEK, which has its place
in the fiberglass industry; these
latter two have their limitations and
specializations, but neither is chemi-
cally inert to polished precious
metals.

Chemical sets can be bought to
make liquid plastic for shaping, for
home manufacture or use, but the
resulting mess, the investment in
ovens for curing and other equipment
is not for the amateur but rather for
the experienced manufacturer. Mail
order home projects are highly specu-
lative and few benefit except the
seller of such material, who usually
commands inflated prices with
glowing promises thrown in for free.

Plastics have characteristics which
lend themselves to a wide variety of
purposes. Some. can be magnetized
and are being used for dental plates to
repell each other in reverse of the
usual magnetic principle, and so pre-
vent “‘fallout.’’ There is resin-glass
used in parabolit telemetry; there is
Lexan which is bullet resistant;
P.V.C., common now to the pipe-
fitting industry used as acid drain
pipes. There are many others.

Subscribers Lost!

There’re eight subscribers ‘‘out
there’’ who’ve been lost ‘‘in here’”’ at
the home office.

The procedure is that, when a sub-
scription is received , it’s
immediately typed on a self-adhesive
label, then the whole sheet is photo-
copied for filing and future use.

Well, someplace along the line a
group of eight labels weren’t
photocopied, and the labels were
mailed on the first regular issue of
cQ.

If you have paid your subscription
fee and do NOT have a three digit
number on the bottom, right side of
your address label, please notify CQ
at once.

SUBSCRIPTION TO CQ

NAME

Address

City & State

zIP Country

Soundex.
(Please do not write
inthis space)

Enciosed is:O $6.00 for first class delivery of a year’s subscription in North America.

(Please

check.) 0 $7.50 for air mail delivery of a year’s subscription to another area.

My collecting specialties are:

You may - may not — (cross out one)

a res

publish this information. Please sign or initial

Before I go too far off the beam let
me return to the one type of plastic we
are interested in at the moment; it is
the plastic acrylite of the polyethy-
lene family which seems to be the
most adaptable so far of the
abundance of the man-made fibers
for our purpose of coin holders. This
particular plastic seems to be, by the
concensus of chemical experts and
my own experience, to have less of
the disturbing elements which tarnish
copper and silver than any of the
others available.

Fortunately for our hobby, many
wholesalers are willing to sell small
lots outside of the trade.

There are a number of tests one can
use when buying either the finished
product or the sheets or pieces to tell
if it is adaptable or really as repre-
sented. One I use frequently is to pour
a few drops of mineral spirits on the
product and if the item starts to
dissolve or cloud up, then it is not
Plexiglass.

There are other tests and pitfalls,
but if one is persistent, of an inquiring
mind and in search of adventure, for
them the field is wide and I bid you
welcome to the fantastic and im-
maginative world of the future, and of
plastics.

CLASSIFIED ADS

WANTED: Canadian counterstamps on anything, or any
cdunterstamps on Canadian tokens. Describe and price. J. E.

WEST INDIAN COUNTERSTAMPS AND TOKENS. Will buy
or trade. Let me know what you have. ANA, ANS, OIN, AVA,

WANTED: Photographs of coins of Napoleon Bonaparte with
“cat” or screech owl counterstamps, for photo archives and

study. Richard Dickerson, Dept. of Chemistry, Cal Tech,
Pasadena, CA 91125.

SPECIALIZING in U.S. half dimes, dimes and half dollars,
1807-37. Would like to hear of any countermarks on coins
that area. ANA, ANS, BHNC, JRCS. David J. Davis, P. O. Box
208, Ypsilanti, MI 48197.
WANTED: Counterstamped, punched or engraved
coins & tokens, especially of Georgia or Atlanta. R.
C. Davis, Box 1046, Douglasville, Georgia, 30314.

errs,
WANTED: Did you buy any of Byrne lots 1245-48?
Help with attribution. Send full description
(including date) or foil impression to: Robert Leonard
Jr., 1065 Spruce St., Winnetka, IL 60093.

eee Hee
TRADES: Will trade merchant CMKS on U. S. and
foreign coins, mostly unattributed, for your dupli-
cates of same. Robert Leonard, Jr., 1065 Spruce
Street, Winnetka, IL 60093.

eee ERE
MAIL BIDS: U. S. & foreign. We have monthly sales
and are in need of your business. Consignments or
buy outright. MAPLE CITY COIN, Box 38, Monmouth.
1L61462.

See ee

has a

PAGE 12

Notes On Devins & Bolton Countermarks

By
Maurice M. Gould
Tustin, Ca.

The Devins & Bolton Token, Breton
No. 569, was manufactured in
England and shipped to Montreal,
where it was seized at the Customs.
Mr. Devins did not order the coins
and therefore did not accept them
when the shipment came in, much to
his surprise.

Through various means however, a
number did get into the hands of col-
lectors and this piece is highly prized
today, as it actually follows the size
and style of the Canadian Victoria
Large Cent.

Devins & Bolton, nevertheless, .are
best known numismatically for the
counterstamp with the company
name, which was stamped on many
thousands of Canadian and foreign
coins. I have found this to be one of
the most common types made in

North America and I believe it

succeeded in its purpose — the
advertising of the well-known firm of
druggists in Montreal.

The company obtained a quantity of
U.S. large cents and counterstamped
them and these are the stamps most
often encountered. In my own col-
lection, I had all of the dates of U. S.
large cents from 1826 through 1856
and seven or eight dates of earlier
vintage, with the oldest being a 1798
date. This group included the 1821 and
1823 large cents, which are fairly
scarce dates.

In _ large ‘cent ‘varieties were
included the 1824 over 22, 1826 over 25,

1828 small date, varieus—smal-and——

large letters, three varieties of 1839,
1843, (2 of the 3 varieties), 1844 over
81, and 1851 over 81.

I believe from this information that
many of the pieces must have been
struck about 1856. I have never seen a
stamp on an 1857 large cent, which is
the last year of issue and a scarce
date.

Hogan Offers Remarks On Few Auction Coins

Patrick Hogan, Iowa City, Iowa,
few remarks about several of
the coins in the auction, and it’s a
pleasure to share his information
with CQ readers.

“Lot number 762 contains the cmk
of Trablus, which is Tripoli; also, this
may be Atrablus, as MacKenzie and
Lachman point out. They have made
acase for Tripoli in Lebanon, an Otto-
man pashalik, for this emk, rather
than the other Tripoli (Libya). This
is mentioned in a letter in Spink’s
Numismatic Circular, March, 1973, in
response to two cmkd Ottoman coins
published by Dr. Henri Arroyo.

“Number 765 contains two cmks
that are attributed to the island of Les-
bos, to Ploumari. The Delta Pi stands
for Demos Plomarion. The Islamic
stamp is probably the similar stamp
in Arabic script, although, there’s
supposed to be another one, but with
Mytilene for Plomari. (I can’t tell
from the photograph.) There’s
usually a third stamping with a script
Lambda on one side, and a script Pi

Attributions, Anyone?

Anyone able to attribute any of the
countermarks in the mail bid catalog
is asked to forward that information
to CQ, for publication in the next
issue.

on the other.

is + poe ee
(Readers having information on

any coins in the auction are urged to
follow Hogan’s example — get in-
volved and share! — Ed.)

CQ Needs Articles

There’s a continuing, crying need
for articles and photographs for
publication in CQ. Short filler-types,
30 to 100 words in length, such as this
one, are needed desperately.

This is YOUR newsletter ... Get
involved! Don’t leave-it all to the ‘old
pros;’’ they need a rest.

COINQUEST
P. O. Drawer 580
Pomona Park, FL. 3

William S.
x 1747, St

Montreal 2,

CANADA

The same counterstamp is to be
found on quite a number of Canadian
tokens, including the following: City
Bank Penny of 1837; Quebec Half
Penny; 1812 Half Penny Plain;
(Breton 961); Various Montreal
Bouquet Sou Tokens; City Bank Half
Penny; Leslie Half Penny (Breton
718); Bank of Upper Canada Half
Penny; Half Penny Token 1820 (Nova
Scotia Breton 894).

Three different U.S. Colonials were
also stamped — a Vermont Cent, Con-
necticut Cent, and Massachusetts
Cent.

A number of years ago I was shown
several foreign coins with the Devins

& Bottor striking, but“ unfortunately

did not have a chance to record the
information accurately. A variety is
known where just the word
“Bolton’s’’ appears on_ several
different Canadian tokens.

With all the renewed interest in the
counterstamped field, there is no
doubt that other varieties will be
located and listed.

In future articles I hope to cover
other counterstamped Canadian

material. I was very fortunate to De
in the New England ar ere many

thousands of the tokens could be
located in years past. Numbers of
these pieces circulated in northern
and other parts of ;Néew-England, so
they are to be found with old lots and
estates.

Let me add once more my thoughts
about the hundreds of series I have
collected over the years. I have found
counterstamps to be the most

exciting as there is much research to
be done and*many rare piéces to be
found.